Savior
by RachelDMoore
Summary: Commander Shepard is trying to save the world from Saren. But who will be there to save him?
1. Chapter 1

Mass Effect is, sadly, not mine. It belongs to the almighty Casey Hudson and the other guys and gals at BioWare.

Yes, I have played the game. Multiple times. And I am going to have to force myself to put down Dragon Age: Origins to play ME2. This is not strictly canon. I'm just playing around. Enjoy!

SAVIOR

The Citadel. It was a structure that defied everything humans had thought possible only a few decades ago. It was the shining example of Prothean technology, and the headquarters of the powers that ruled the universe. It was the epitome of civilization, home to thousands of members of every known species in the universe.

John T. Shepard, commander with the Alliance military and newly-appointed human Spectre --- the first of his kind --- hated it.

The twenty-nine-year-old solider sat in a bar called Afterlife, slowly nursing the beer that sat in front of him, trying very hard not to run screaming all the way back to his ship. The Citadel was crowded and smelly. And too many people who lived on the Citadel were ignorant, stupid and arrogant, the exact type of person Shepard had joined the military to get away from.

Unfortunately, it seemed as though the majority of those people were in Afterlife right now.

"Hey there, handsome," came a husky voice fro his right. Turning, he saw an older human woman, clearly drunk, sitting on the bar stool next to him, batting her obviously fake eyelashes at him. She was heavyset, probably in her fifties, and wore a tight-fitting red dress that was cut in all of the wrong places. Looking at her rolls of fat hanging out of the side of the gown would make even the most inebriated man hesitate. "You look kinda lonely. Want Mary to show you a good time?" She even ran her tongue over her lips for good measure.

The commander shuddered. "Get lost, lady. I'm not interested."

"Oh, come on, sugar." She was basically purring, moving closer so that her breasts brushed up against his arm. He cringed away. "You look like you need a woman with some experience. Let me show you a good time."

"I said get lost!" Shepard pulled out his knife and held it out in front of him, a scowl on his face. "I'm not in the mood, lady. Go find another man to pester."

The woman's eyes were riveted on the knife, as wide as saucers, he jowls jiggling as her jaw dropped. "Why, you…!" Her jaw snapped shut, and her alcohol-glazed eyes bored into him. "You'll regret this, bastard. Mark my words! You could have had a good night with Mary."

He was gritting his teeth. "I am losing my patience."

Her eyes flickered between him and the knife. She licked her lips one last time, then slid off the stool and tottered away.

He raised his glass to his lips and drained it all in one gulp. God, he wanted to get out of here. _Hurry it up, Captain! Else you're going to have to bring your contact to meet me somewhere else. I don't think the Council would take too kindly to their new Spectre opening fire in a public bar._

"Can I get you another drink?"

Looking up, Shepard saw a girl wearing the bar's standard uniform standing on the other side of the bar from him. She had red hair done up in an elaborate knot on top of her head, and had eyes the color of clouds just before a storm. She was beautiful, or would have been, if it wasn't for the massive scars running diagonally across her face. She looked bored.

Shepard blinked at her, trying to form a response, but finding that his tongue was suddenly twisted all around itself.

She waved her hand around in front of his face. "Hello? Is anyone home?"

"Yes. I… Um." He pushed his glass towards her. "Beer. The strongest you've got."

The girl took his glass, a wry smile turning up the corners of her lips. "I'll be right back with that."

Shepard let out a sigh and raked a hand through his hair. _That was smooth, Shepard. That girl probably thinks you're a moron. God, but Anderson needs to get back here _now.

"Here you go. Strongest beer we've got, per your request." Shepard blinked as a glass was thunked down in front of him. Looking up, he saw the scarred waitress standing there, leaning against the bar, looking at him. "So… You're a solider?"

"I… Yes. Yes I am. I'm with the Navy." He took another swig from his glass. At least this girl wasn't trying to drag him back to her lair. "Commander John Shepard." He held out a hand.

"I thought the uniform looked familiar. My father was a captain in the navy years ago." She took his hand in hers, responding to his grip with a surprisingly strong one of her own. "I'm Emilynne Cohen, Emmy to my friends. What brings you to a place like ---"

"Emmy!" A very angry, very male voice shouted out across the bar. "Stop bothering the customers and get back to work. You're not going to make any money by just standing there."

Shepard watched as the waitress visibly cringed, then let out a sigh. "Well, I guess that's my cue. I better get back to the other drunks who are just looking for an excuse to grope me. If you need anything else, let me know. Enjoy your beer."

With that, she pushed away from the bar and moved off. Shepard watched her leave, noticing the numerous patrons who called out lewd remarks to her and reached out to try and grab her in any private place they could reach.

Shepard took another drink, wincing as the alcohol burned his throat. _I've got to get out of here, get away from these people. Damn the captain. He can radio me when he's got his information. _

The commander reached into his pocket and pulled out a few credits, enough to cover his bill plus some. His waitress had looked like she could use something to brighten up her day. His head was starting to pound in time with the music that was blasting throughout the bar.

Just as he was about to put the money down, the bar stool next to him shifted again. He turned, already ready to face yet another would-be paramour. Maybe even Mary, trying again after a few more drinks. Instead, he found himself face-to-face with an older black man, dressed in a Navy uniform.

The wave of relief that washed through him was so great that he almost fell into the floor. "It's about time you got back," he growled, slapping the money down on the bar. "This place is like my own personal hell. I was getting ready to leave without you."

"Sorry about that, Shepard," Captain Anderson, Shepard's CO, said, not sounding sorry at all as he reached over and finished the contents of Shepard's glass. "My source didn't want to talk, so I had to be… persuasive. But I got the information I need, so we can ---"

The captain was interrupted as a loud shot rang out across the bar. For a long moment, the only sound was the thumping music. Then a scream echoed through the room.

Panic erupted almost immediately, especially when more shots followed. Shepard let his training and long years of experience take over as he threw himself across the bar, ducking down behind it as he pulled his weapon out of its holster. There was a grunt, and Anderson was beside him, gun in hand. "And here you were thinking this place couldn't be any worse."

"What's going on, sir?" Shepard had to yell to be heard over the screams and shots. He checked his gun to make sure it was fully powered. "I don't suppose a dive like this checks non-military personal for weapons when they walk through the door. Why should they? As long as these bastards are spending money, who cares if they have guns?"

"It's too late to worry about that now. We've got to find whoever it is that's shooting this place up and stop them." Anderson raised himself up just far enough to peer over the top of the bar. "It seems like most of the gun fire is coming from the left. I saw a large group of people over there earlier, most of them Krogan. I think that's where we should head."

"Sounds good to me." Staying crouched down so that he was protected by the bar, Shepard began making his way around the curved wooden structure, heading towards the area his CO had indicated. _I can't believe this. Anderson drags me to this hell hole to get some information on Saren before we can take off after him. Now I'm _stuck _here because some ignorant brutes decide to shoot at each other. If anything happens and we have to delay our mission, I will rip him a new one, commanding officer or not. _

He was vaguely aware of Anderson talking behind him, _radioing for backup, I guess. _But he paid the captain no mind. His entire focus was on the sound of the gunfire, and picking his way to where they were originating from. Despite his disgust at the way these people lived, he didn't think any of them deserved to be gunned down in cold blood. Especially not the waitresses, who were only here because it was their job.

After another few inches, Shepard noticed that the gunfire seemed to be concentrated in the area right in front of him. He held up a fist, signifying Anderson that he was halting, and slowly, carefully, raised himself up to peer out over the bar.

What he saw made him readjust the grip on his gun.

There were bodies, a _lot _of them, a few Krogan, most of them wearing the waitress uniforms. Two of the tables had been turned on their side about ten feet away from one another. Behind one of them, Shepard could see three beings, two Krogan and a human, crouching down as they fired across the room towards the other table.

The Marine gritted his teeth as he slowly, slowly lifted his gun up over the bar. _I'll fire a warning shot first. If they're civilians, I'll get them back here to safety. If they start shooting back, no one will blame me._

He lined up his shot, aiming just over the head of one of the Krogan. _This ought to get their attention._

Before he could fire his shot, however, one of the Krogan's heads literally exploded, sending a spray of blood all over his companions. He slumped to the ground. The other two never even stopped what they were doing.

Blinking in surprise, Shepard's eyes swept back, looking for where the bullet could have come from… then nearly fell over in shock.

It was his waitress, Emmy. She was lying on the ground, ducked down behind a body, smoke still curling from the gun she had fired. Before the commander could even think, her gun jumped again, and the other Krogan fell beside his companion. _What the hell? She's going to get herself killed!_

Cursing to himself, Shepard leapt over the bar and ran to where the scarred girl was lying, dropping to his belly beside her and lifting his gun. "What the hell are you doing?" he hissed, sweeping his gun around, looking for any immediate danger. "You don't know who those guys are. They might be innocents, for all you know!"

"Drug dealers," was her simple reply. "They come in here all the time, despite how much we protest to Roman, the guy who owns this place. The guys on the other side came in and said the Krogan's were cutting in on their drug turf. They've been threatening to do something about it for months. Everyone saw this coming." She moved her gun slightly to the left and fired again. She was up and running towards the table before the human's body had even hit the floor. Shepard scrambled to follow, not even bothering to see where Anderson had gone.

"Where did you get that gun?" he asked, crouching down behind the table. He was already scouting for anything else they could use as cover, knowing they would need to get closer to take out the other dealers. "I don't suppose you've been keeping that thing hidden up your skirt the whole time."

"Roman keeps a stash of them, mostly for situations such as this. As soon as the shooting started, I went and grabbed one out of the cabinet he keeps them in." She checked the power level. "I should have known something was up the minute those bastards went and sat with the Krogans. We knew that ---"

"Ssh!" Shepard held up a hand as a shout echoed from the opposite end of the room.

"We know someone's over there! Identify yourself, bastard! And tell us whose side you're on."

"My name is Shepard," he called out, still holding his hand out to signal Emmy to stay silent. "I'm a commander with the Alliance military. And I'm on no one's side. Will you lay down your weapons?"

"A military prick, eh? I suppose you think we should just turn ourselves in? Do our civic duty?"

"That would make this a lot easier," he answered. "We could just take you in, nice and quiet. No one else has to get hurt."

"And go to jail for the next few years? I don't think so. Come and stop us if you think you can, _commander."_

"Sounds like an invitation to me," he muttered, leaning back against the table as he checked the power level of his own weapon. "Emmy, I want you to ---"

"Not a chance," was her sharp reply. "These bastards killed the only friends I have. I'm not just going to sit back until they're all dead. Don't worry, Commander. I can handle myself."

He shrugged. "Suit yourself. On my lead, then. One, two, _three!"_

With that, the two of them rolled out from behind the table and began firing. Shepard stayed down low to the ground, firing at the dead center of the table. When one of the other four dealers moved away from the danger, Emmy picked them off.

It took only a few moments for silence to descend onto the bar again. The first thing that came to Shepard's mind was _At least that music stopped. _The second one was to turn to his companion. "Are you all right?"

Her elaborate hairstyle had fallen, sending her red hair down past her shoulders in waves. Some of it had fallen across her face, obscuring the scars that Shepard had noticed earlier. Her uniform was torn and dirty. But there were no wounds. Not that he could see anyways.

"I'm fine," she responded, surveying the damage with a hand on her hip. "I can't believe…"

"C-Sec is here," Anderson said, coming to stand beside the two of them. "They'll take care of everything form here on. That was some fine shooting, young lady. Did you serve?"

"My father," she responded, throwing the gun to the ground. "He was in the Navy. He taught me how to shoot."

"We all owe you, and your father, a debt of thanks." He turned to Shepard. "We need to be going. The officers have agreed to let us give our statements via com link. We have to get back to the Normandy. And soon."

Shepard nodded and turned to the waitress. "Thanks for everything. And… I'm sorry for your loss."

She didn't respond, only nodded. Then she turned and walked away, to where the C-Sec officers were suddenly swarming.

"Come on, Shepard," Anderson said softly, placing a hand on the Marine's shoulder. "Let's get out of here."

-----------------

To say Shepard was glad to be back on the Normandy would have been a gross understatement. He sat in the cargo hold, where it was dark and cool, away from prying eyes. He had made his statement to the C-Sec officer via com link a half hour ago, then had gone to the infirmary for some aspirin before heading here. Here, there was no one around. Here, there was no intercom. Here, he could just rest in peace until the blasted headache that had started in Afterlife could go away.

_Now if only I could figure out a way to put a bed in here. Then I could ---_

A sudden noise came from the rear of the cargo hold, startling him from his thoughts. "Great," he grumbled to himself, reluctantly getting to his feet. "Now we have mice aboard. I swear, is there not…"

The sound came again, this time louder, and definitely not made by any mouse. Acting purely on instinct, Shepard reached for his gun. "Who's there?" he called in the most commanding voice he could come up with at the moment. "Show yourself! And I swear, if you're a crewmember back here canoodling, I will rip your heads off and put them on pikes."

There was another rustling noise, and Shepard was aware of a small, white hand poking up from behind a stack of crates, quickly followed by another one. "Please, don't hurt me," came a soft, feminine voice. "I don't mean any harm."

"Come out here where I can see you!"

The sound of footsteps sounded in the small space, and a figure suddenly came into view. Shepard couldn't help but gape in surprise as his eyes fell on a now-familiar scarred face framed by fiery red hair.

"Emmy?!"

* * *

Shepard's headache had now turned into a full-blown migraine. Everything made his head pound: light, sound, movement… And, at the moment, there was a lot of all three.

He was standing in the conference room, leaning against the wall, massassiging the bridge of his nose and wondering if he could convince Dr. Chakwas to give him something stronger. Around him, the crew of the Normandy, including the new members that he had picked up back at the Citadel, were talking amongst themselves. And in the middle of them all stood a lone human girl: Emmy, a waitress from the bar Afterlife. She had ended a deadly shoot-out practically one-handed. Shepard had watched her walk away from him three days ago and thought he'd seen the last of her… until he'd found her hiding in the cargo hold of the ship. Now he had brought in the entire crew to weigh in on what they should do with her. Granted, as the CO he had the finally say, but he thought it was only fair to have everyone else's opinion.

"What made you decide you could just hop on board an Alliance vessal, hmm?" That was Pressley, Shepard's navigator and second-in-command. "Were you just wanting to take a joyride? Maybe see if the Alliance would take you in?"

"No." Her voice was soft, but Shepard could tell just how taught it sounded. She was standing, but kept her hair pulled over her face, and her head ducked, probably to hide the scars that marred her youthful beauty. She was still wearing the torn and dirty uniform Shepard had last seen her in. "I only want to be let off at the next port. I heard the man Shepard was with say they needed to meet back at the Normandy, so I went to the spaceport, found it, and snuck on board. He's the first human Spectre. I knew he had to be going somewhere. I didn't care where it was, as long as it was far away from the Citadel."

"So you just hopped on board and what? Hoped that we would feed you? You had no idea how long it would be before we landed again. Were you going to steal food from us, too?" That was Williams. Shepard was surprised by how sharp her voice sounded. Opening one eye, he saw her standing rigid, arms crossed, glaring at the other woman.

Emmy just shrugged. "It's nothing for me to go for a few days with no food. If I thought I was in any danger of starving, I would have revealed myself, yes. But I was pretty confident that you would set down again before that happened."

"What about your family, your friends?" Kaiden was speaking softly, in that voice that Shepard always thought of as 'brotherly'. "Won't they send someone after you once they notice you're missing?"

"I don't have any." There was no self-pity in her voice. It was a statement, said in a matter-of-fact tone. "My family has been gone for awhile, and the only friends I have were killed back at Afterlife. There's no one to miss me. You won't have to worry about anyone bothering you."

Silence fell on the crew at this proclamation, and even Shepard felt himself moved. He remembered hearing her saying something back at the bar as they faced off against a group of drug dealers who had opened up on each other. _"These bastards killed the only friends I have." _He felt a sudden kinship with her. He'd lost everything once, too…

"Still, one just can't expect to _sneak _onto a military ship …"

"We're already going to be taxed enough…"

'What if something happens…"

"Enough!" Shepard winced as his head felt as though it was going to explode with the strength of his words. But he managed to push himself off of the wall and walking through the crowd until he stood before the girl. She looked up, straitened, and stared him square in the eye. He hoped he looked intimidating, not as though he were about to fall over. "You say you only want passage to the next habitable port we land at, correct?"

She nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Then we'll give it to you." A murmur started up around him, but Shepard held up a hand, and silence reigned once again. "However, no one aboard this boat gets a free ride. You're going to have to pull your weight around here. What skills do you have?"

She stared him right in the eye, ignoring everyone around them. He was once again reminded of the way clouds looked back on Earth just before a storm. "I'm an expert shot. You saw what I can do. I'm as good a shot as any of you Marines."

"I'm not doubting that. You are very skilled. But so is everyone else aboard this ship. We don't need another shooter. What else can you do?"

He could see doubt creep into her face, though she stayed perfectly rigid. Her eyes darted around as she sought for something that would be useful to a crew that was highly trained. Then they settled back on Shepard, and the edge of her lips turned up slightly. "I can cook. My mother was a classically-trained chef, and I know all of her recipies."

"She has my vote," came a voice from Shepard's left. "Since I seen to have been appointed cook --- and I can't cook for shit ---- I say we take her."

The commander felt his own wry smile twist his lips. "Your vote has been noted, Alenko. Anyone else care to share their opinions?"

"I also say we take her on." That was the doctor. "It would be nice to have a decent meal again. No offense, Lieutenant."

"None taken."

Chuckles were coming from everyone around him, and he even found himself nodding. It was true. Kaidan had graciously taken on the role of cook, an act that everyone now regretted. "Then I take it we are all agreed?"

Murmmurs of assent rose from the crowd. Ashley, he noticed, remained silent.

"It's settled then. We have a new cook." Applause echoed as he held out his hand to the scarred girl, who wore a look of utter relief on her face. "Welcome aboard the Normandy, Emmy."


	2. Chapter 2

So I know that Afterlife is actually on Omega, and not on the Citadel. But when I started this, I had only seen some footage of Afterlife. I had no idea where it was. So I apologize for messin' with the canon.

Savior

Chapter 2

Shepard felt like a new man. After he had asked Kaidan to make sure their new crew member was taken care of, he had gone straight to his room, locked the door, turned off both the lights and the com, and had fallen blissfully into bed. Now he was awake, headache free and feeling refreshed.

His first order of business was to go to the kitchen. He wanted to check on Emmy, and his growling stomach reminded him that it had been a long time since he had eaten anything. According to the Normandy's on-ship clock, which was set to sync with the day/night cycle on the Citadel, it was eight a.m. He had been asleep since nine the night before. _It's no wonder I'm hungry._

As he approached the kitchen, he found Alenko standing outside in the mess area. "Commander," he greeted, nodding his head as Shepard approached. "Are you feeling better this morning?"

"Much. Nothing like a good night's sleep to cure one's ailments." He nodded towards the kitchen. "Is there anything to eat in there?"

"_Is _there? Emmy's been up for hours. It's better than any buffet at those fancy hotels back on the Citadel. And it smells absolutely heavenly in there. It's a good thing you decided to keep her."

The commander gave him a wry smile as he headed towards the door. "What is that talking, lieutenant? You, your stomach, or your sad lack of culinary skills?"

The biotic laughed. "All three, boss. All three."

"Well, I'm going to go see this miracle for myself. Don't go too far. I want to speak to you later."

"Will do, commander."

With a nod, Shepard stepped up to the door, which hissed open to allow him access. As soon he stepped in, he stopped, hit by the sudden smell, and closed his eyes. His mouth immediately began to water. _Alenko wasn't kidding. It smells wonderful in here. _He could detect fried bacon, salty ham, scrambled eggs, and… was that the smell of _waffles?_

"Good morning, commander," came that smooth voice, managing to sound full of confidence and bored at the same time. "Everything's lined up on the table. Well, whatever Kaidan left. Please, help yourself."

He opened his eyes, not even bothering to mark the way she already spoke the lieutenant's name with familiarity, and had to fight not to just start eating everything in sight.

Every inch of the kitchen table was covered with food. There was the ham and bacon he'd smelled, along with biscuits and sausage. And there, in the middle of the table, was a very large pile of waffles, keeping company with a bottle of syrup.

"Oh, Emmy," he breathed, blinking just to make sure he wasn't dreaming. "You are indeed a heaven-send."

He looked up to see the girl sitting on a stool by the sink, a smile of pleasure skirting across her face. Her red hair was pulled back, and covered by a kerchief. The uniform was gone, replaced by a soft blouse and skirt that showed off her lithe body well. "Well, you'll have to wait until you eat to say if I'm divine or not. It may all taste like cardboard, for all you know."

"No, no. Nothing that smells this good could taste like cardboard." He headed for a small stack of plates that rested on the corner of the table, grabbed one, and began loading it. "I don't even remember the last time I had waffles. And _real _bacon. Not that synthetic crap they try to pass off as meat." He took a bite out of a piece of bacon and moaned in pure ecstasy, closing his eyes once more to savor the taste. "No. This is certainly not cardboard. And yes, you are an angel."

That drew a small chuckle from his companion, and she turned around to face the sink. "Well, I wouldn't say that. It's just been awhile since you've had anything like this. I've had military rations before. Talk about cardboard. That stuff is not for tasting. It's just to keep you alive."

Shepard could only nod as he slowly chewed the food he had stuffed into his mouth. "Have you eaten anything yet?" he asked when he had finally swallowed. He wasn't about to rush this. He was going to savor every bite.

She waved a hand in dismissal. "I'll eat after the crew does. It's only fair. I'm cooking for you all now, remember?"

"Nonsense. You've cooked enough here to feed the entire Alliance." He patted a seat next to him. "Come. Sit. Eat. Talk."

"Commander, really. I----"

"I like to get to know the people who are on my ship. Especially ones that sneak aboard." He let an edge creep into his voice, hoping that she got the hint that he wasn't asking.

"That's fair, I suppose." She stood, wiping her hands on a dishtowel. She walked over to the table and put a few pieces of food on her plate before taking a seat across the table from Shepard. He noticed that she didn't touch anything she'd put on her plate.

He cut off another piece of waffle and dunked it in syrup. "So tell me about yourself. Your father was a serviceman, and your mother was a cook. Right?"

She nodded. "He was a Marine, like you. He was a captain of his own ship for fifteen years. Highly respected, or so I'm told whenever I mention his name."

"I get the idea that you don't care too much for him."

She shrugged, picking up a slice of bacon and nibbling at a corner. "He made it no secret that he wanted a son, one that could carry on his name and follow in his footsteps. Sure, I could have joined up, but it wasn't the same. He didn't have a lot to do with me, except to teach me how to shoot a gun and take care of myself. When I told him at fifteen I had absolutely no desire to join the Alliance, he basically forgot I existed. Which was fine with me. He cared more about his crew than he did his family."

Shepard nodded. That was a story he had unfortunately heard a lot since he joined up eleven years ago. Many a family had been torn apart by the Alliance. "And your mom?"

If he hadn't been watching her, he never would have seen the look of pain that flash across her scarred face. "She… she was wonderful. She owned a restaurant on the Citadel, and it was a big hit. People loved her cooking. And as soon as I got old enough, I started working there myself. She taught me everything. And she let me pursue my own dreams of being a dancer. She was my best friend."

"Did she pass away?"

Emmy snorted. "I wish. It would have been easier to deal with. Basically she decided that she could not handle taking care of a traumatized, scarred daughter. So she up and left. Closed her restaurant, packed her stuff, and left me a note telling me that she had already raised me once, and wasn't about to do it again. I haven't seen or heard from her in four years. I hope she's not dead. Just so I can find her and kill her myself."

Shepard couldn't think of anything to say. His own parents had died thirteen years ago, when we was sixteen, killed by slavers. He had joined the Alliance right after. He had lost one family, but had gained another. He couldn't imagine any parent turning away from their child simply because something bad had happened to them. "Have you heard from your father since she left?"

"Nope." She had dropped her bacon back on the plate and shoved the whole thing to the side. She rested her elbows on the table and began twisting a small ring on her left hand. "I wouldn't even know how to begin to look for him. That is, if I wanted to find him. Which I don't. I'm an adult. If my parents don't want anything to do with me, that's fine. I've dealt with it."

"What about your scars? How did you get those?"

"It was an accident."

Shepard waited. When nothing else was forthcoming, he prompted, "What kind of accident?"

"The bad kind. The kind that leaves you with scars that even your own mother is ashamed of." She got to her feet and swung away from him. "Look. I'm just here to cook until you get tired of me. I'm nobody. You have more important things to get to. Eat. I've got to go through the stores and see what I can fix for lunch."

Shepard knew that he had pushed too far. So he nodded and went back to eating, not saying another word.

* * *

True to his word, Alenko was still standing outside the kitchen, doing equipment scans. A grin spread across his face as Shepard walked ---- or, as the case was, _waddled_ --- out of the kitchen. "Told you it was a feast."

Shepard patted his stomach and let out a small belch. "Yeah, I'll probably regret this later. But it sure was good going down." He paused. "Thanks for taking care of her last night. I was barely able to stand, my head hurt so bad."

"It was my pleasure, Commander. I got her set up in the cook's quarters. It's small, but she's right by the kitchen, and its private, which is what she wanted. And, thankfully, Dr. Chakwas is about the same size as her, so we were able to get her some fresh clothes. She was pretty happy with everything. From what I understand, she's not used to people being nice to her."

"Yeah, well. I saw where she worked. I can tell you that the patrons at that awful place weren't nice to her." He paused again. "Tell me, Kaidan. Did she talk about herself any at all? Mention her past? Or why exactly she was running away? I'm not about to ship her back to the Citadel. If she was desperate enough to sneak aboard the Normandy, then she can stay. But I want to makes sure I'm not going to have some jilted lover or creditors coming after her. I tried speaking with her, but my people skills are a little… rough." He smiled. "I'm used to threatening people who don't answer my questions. I don't think that will work in this case."

Kaidan shrugged. "She didn't talk much. She seemed pretty exhausted, actually. She just kept saying how thankful she was to be away from that place, and how she couldn't believe we were giving her a room of her own. After I got her the clothes, she gave me a hug, wouldn't stop saying thank you. Then she asked if there was anything special I wanted for breakfast. That was about the extent of our conversation. This morning, she just asked me questions. She's a sweet girl."

"But she didn't really tell you anything about herself?"

Kaidan shook his head. "No, Commander. Nothing."

Shepard nodded. "All right. Well, if she says anything about anyone coming after her, let me know. I opened my mouth and inserted my foot, as usual. I'm not on her list of favorite people right now."

"If she tells me anything, I'll let you know."

Shepard patted his friend's shoulder. "Thanks, Kaidan. I'll let you get back to work."

The lieutenant gave a little wave. "See you later, Commander."

* * *

Shepard spent most of the day talking to the crew, especially the new members, trying to get a feel for them. Garrus, the turian from C-Sec wouldn't be a problem. He was disciplined, used to following orders. And he had it out for Saren, which meant that he wouldn't question Shepard. The quarian girl, Tali, wouldn't be a problem either. As long as she had something to show for her Pilgrimage, she would follow Shepard wherever he went. Wrex, however, was another story. He was a krogan, prone to violence, and if Shepard so much as looked at him the wrong way, he was just as likely to shoot him as not. As long as the human stayed after Saren, Wrex should stay as docile as krogan could. Shepard would have to stay on his toes around his new squad member.

The one person he wanted to avoid was Ashley Williams. While she was a good solider --- he had witnessed that first hand on Eden Prime --- she was bossy and opinionated. Not bad traits to have, except that she told you what she thought regardless if you wanted to hear it or not. And after last night's discovery of Emmy, he was sure she was more than ready to tell him exactly what she thought of their stowaway. Right now, he wasn't in the mood to hear it.

Unfortunately, the Normandy was only so big, and there was only so much Shepard could do while the ship was heading towards the planet Therum. So it was with great reluctance that he pulled himself back towards the kitchen when the onboard clock announced that it was with noon. Sure enough, Ashley was standing outside of the kitchen, arms crossed, tapping her toe impatiently.

The commander let out a sigh before steeling himself. _Might as well get this over with. _"Williams," he said, walking towards her.

"Commander! I've been looking all over for you. I want to speak with you, if you have the time."

It was difficult for him not to let out a sigh. "Of course. I always have time for my crew. What's on your mind?"

She jerked her head towards the kitchen. "It's about that new girl, Emmy. I don't like her."

He lifted an eyebrow as a wry smile twisted his lips. "What's the matter? Do you not like her cooking?"

Ashley scowled, and he did sigh. _She has no sense of humor. _"This has nothing to do with her cooking. She's not military. She has no military training. She's a vulnerability. I think we should take her back to the Citadel. Or at least put her on a ship heading to the Citadel. She doesn't need to be on an Alliance vessel."

Shepard raked a hand through his hair. "Williams, I am not sending her back there. I saw where she was working, what she had to put up with. If she had been able to leave on her own, I think she would. She wanted out, and she saw a way. I'm going to give it to her. And she can fight . I saw that. She saved a lot of lives back in that nightclub, mine included. I have faith that she would be able to hold her own in a fight."

Ashley waved her hand in dismissal. "It's your call, Commander. I just think it's wrong that there are a million people out there who could be of value to us, and we have a stripper."

"She was a waitress, Williams. Not a stripper."

She snorted. "In places like that, they're one and the same. I think that ----"

"And you would be right."

Shepard inwardly cringed as that cool, bored voice sounded from the vicinity of the mess hall. Turning he saw Emmy standing there, Kaidan behind her. She had her arms crossed, and was glaring at the other woman. "Emmy, don't ---"

"Its fine, Shepard. Don't bother making excuses. I can handle myself." She never took her eyes off of Ashley. To her credit, the marine looked slightly chagrined. "You're right. I was a stripper. I didn't like it. Especially because my boss kept me around because there are a lot of sick bastards out there who got off on seeing a girl with a flawless body but a horribly scarred face strip and dance for them. It's not a lot of fun having those drunken idiots fall over in their attempt to grope you. But it paid the bills, and there aren't a whole lot of other places on the Citadel willing to hire someone who looks like me."

"If you didn't like it, you could have left. Everyone has a choice."

Emmy offered a cold smile. "Sure. No family, the only friends other strippers, a former ballerina with no other marketable skills… There are a ton of options out there."

Ashley sneered at her. "Fine. You were stuck. Whatever. I still don't like the fact that you are here."

"Then you can just stay out of my kitchen until I'm gone, and I'll stay out of your way as much as possible."

"Sounds like a plan to me." She nodded to Shepard. "Commander." Then she marched away, head held high.

The commander sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. There was a slight throbbing behind his eyes that suspiciously felt like his migraine returning. "Alenko, go after her. Talk to her. Calm her down. And make sure she knows that I will not tolerate that kind of behavior towards anyone aboard the Normandy."

Kaidan nodded. "Aye, aye, Commander." He flashed a kind smile at Emmy, and then hurried off after Ashley.

Shepard watched him go before turning to Emmy. The girl had already started heading into the kitchen. "Emmy, can I talk to you?"

She waved him forward. "You can stand there and talk until you're blue in the face, Commander. But you'll have to do it while I work. I have a ship full of hungry people to feed."

He followed her up the stairs and through the hissing door. "About what Ashley said, I ---"

"Save your sympathy. I'm used to it. Besides, she's right. I was a stripper, though Roman called us his 'dancers' to make it seem like a more upscale establishment. I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier, but it's not something I go around shouting. Ashley's reaction is actually quite respectful compared to most I get."

He shook his head. "I don't care. We all have to do what we have to do. I just wanted to say that she's the only one on the Normandy with those, ah, _viewpoints. _Everyone else is glad to have you on board. And she doesn't know when to keep her mouth shut, which is likely to get her killed quicker than anything else. You're just going to have to ignore her."

"Duly noted." She handed for the fridge and began rummaging through it. When she stood back up, arms full, she lifted an eyebrow when she saw he was still standing there. "Was there something else you need?"

"I was hoping we could talk for a little bit."

"Now? " She kicked the refrigerator door shut with her heel and headed over to the large prep area. "I'm rather busy. Besides, didn't we talk enough this morning?"

"You can spare a few minutes. I promise the crew will survive. Besides, I think most of us are still stuffed from breakfast. As far as talking goes, it's more of me talking and you listening. Just let me say my piece and I'll be out of your hair. Deal?"

She let out a sigh, dropped her supplies onto the prep table, then plopped down in a chair at the kitchen table. "Fine. What do you have on your mind?"

He sat down at a chair close to her, and watched as she subconsciously moved so that she was as far away from him as she could be while still staying in her chair. He felt a pang of sympathy for her. _She doesn't trust people at all. _"First of all, you are part of my crew now, not just a 'cook'. And you don't have to leave at the next planet we stop at. You are free to stay on as long as you like."

She offered him a small smile. "Was Kaidan's cooking that bad?"

He laughed at that. "Frankly, I'm afraid I would have a mutiny on my hands if I let you go without some kind of fight. Most of these people here are Alliance. They are used to military rations. You are a goddess to them right now." He paused. "I also wanted you to know that I am sorry for pushing you to talk earlier. I shouldn't have done that. I'm used to dealing with soldiers, and they know that whatever they don't tell you, you can find in their records. So, I thought I'd tell you a little bit about my past. You know, turnabouts fair play and all."

'Shepard, that's not really necess---"

He held up a hand, cutting her off. "All you have to do is listen, if for nothing else than to make me feel better." He shifted in his chair, leaning forwards and resting his elbows on the table as he gathered his thoughts. "My parents were colonists. Mom used to tell me that she had always dreamed of getting out of the suburb she grew up in back on Earth, and she couldn't think of anywhere better than a whole other planet. She and my father married on Earth, then left the next day to go to Mindoir, out in the Attican Traverse. That's where I grew up."

He watched with satisfaction as she shifted, leaning forward towards him. "You grew up somewhere besides Earth? Or the Citadel? What was it like?"

"It was… I hated it. When I was growing up anyways. It was a small colony, only about two hundred people or so. There were only about fifteen other kids my age there. I felt incredibly boxed in. For my parents, it was paradise. For me, it was a nightmare. I couldn't _wait _to finish school and leave Mindoir."

"What did your parents think about you joining the military?"

Shepard offered a sad smile. "They died when I was sixteen. There was a group of batarian slavers who raided Mindoir. There were only a few small colonies, and we were all spaced too far apart to be much help to each other. We were a perfect place for slavers to raid. My parents tried to save the colony, tried to save their dream. The slavers cut them down in seconds."

Emmy blinked. "Oh… Shepard. I… I'm sorry. That's horrible."

He shrugged. "It's all right. It was a long time ago."

She nodded. She understood what it was like to have sympathy from other people whenever they heard about their pasts. "So what happened next? How did you end up with the Alliance?"

"They saved me. It was a passing Alliance ship that drove off the slavers. They picked me and the few other survivors up. I didn't have anywhere else to go. I'd only met my grandparents once, and had no idea how to find them. So I stayed with the Alliance, finishing school and joining up as soon as I could. The rest is history."

There was silence as the two sat there, both thinking over what he had said: he lost in the memories the telling had brought to life, she thinking about this hard man who was showing her such compassion. Then, very quietly, she asked "Do you ever regret it? You've been in the military for… how long now?"

"Eleven years. And no. I don't regret joining up. Sure there have been some bumps along the way. The battle of Akuze for example… I don't know if you've heard anything about it?"

She frowned slightly. "I seem to remember hearing something about a thresher maw attack. But the vids said there were no survivors."

"They were wrong. There was one."

Emmy's eyes went wide. "You? You survived a thresher maw attack?"

"Barely. And I was the only one who survived. That thing killed my entire squad. After I was rescued, I spent the next few months in a hospital, undergoing all this psychological evaluation while they were patching me back up. I wanted to quit then. I felt so… useless. I'd gotten my squad killed, my _friends. _I dealt with that for a long time. Kaidan was the only one who kept me from leaving. He and I joined the Alliance at the same time, and we were in training together. He's my oldest friend, one of the only _true _friends I have." He offered her a smile, a _real _one. "But I firmly believe that everything happens for a reason. And so here I am, aboard the Normandy, the first human Spectre, trying to save the galaxy. And I met you. So no. I don't regret it. Not one bit."

There was a long silence. Then, in a very quiet voice, she said "Thank you, Shepard. You didn't have to do that, you know."

"Well, I did. So we're even now. " He stood. "And I'll let you get back to fixing lunch. And, just for the record, I like provolone cheese. And honey wheat bread."

She smiled at him, and this one actually reached her eyes. "Ham or turkey?"

"Ham. And a lot of pickle."

"You got it." She stood and moved back to where she had left her supplies on the prep table. "See you around, Shepard."

"See you." Feeling lighter, as if talking to her had rid himself of some burden he hadn't known he was carrying, the human Spectre left the kitchen and headed towards the pilot room, whistling.


	3. Chapter 3

Wow, I can't believe how many of you are reading this! Thanks so much! :) And remember, constructive criticism is ALWAYS welcome.

As always, the wonderful --- and nummy! --- characters belong to BioWare, much to my eternal sadness. If they would just give me Kaidan, and maybe Alistair....

Shepard finished strapping on his weapons as he looked out of the Normandy's window at the planet they were quickly approaching.

Therum. There hadn't been much information about the planet on the extranet, at least not information that Shepard didn't already have. There was a human colony, and hundreds of mining companies had sprung up to harvest the planet's rich minerals and send them back to Earth. It was also home to a number of Prothean ruins. One of those was currently being excavated by an archeological team lead by Dr. Liara T'soni, an asari who happened to be the daughter of Matriarch Benezia. She was the reason Shepard had come to Therum.

He sensed someone come to stand beside to him, and turning, saw Emmy peer eagerly out of the window. A gasp escaped her lips, and her eyes grew as wide as saucers. "That… that's what a planet looks like?"

He couldn't help but grin. He could easily remember how he had felt the first time he'd left Mindoir and seen another planet. "Yep. That's Therum. It's mostly a mining planet, but there is a sizable human colony set up there." He paused. "You're more than welcome to get off here, if you want. I'll even tell the crew I put up a massive fight, but if you want to leave, I won't try to stop you." He could almost hear his stomach yelling at him to shut up.

She blinked, still entranced by the large ball that was growing larger and larger outside of the window. "Wha-? Oh. I might. I want to go and resupply, if that's all right? I'll take a look around, see if it's anything I like. If it is, I'll come back and get my things. It's not as if I have much to take with me."

He nodded, staring out of the window. "If you do, at least say goodbye. I know Kaidan would not be happy with you sneaking off without a word."

She tore her gaze away from the window to look up at him. "You really think I would do that? After all that you've done for me, I think the least I could do was say goodbye. _Especially _to Kaidan. He's been so kind to me."

Shepard felt a strange feeling arise somewhere in his chest at those words, but immediately squelched it. "The capital is Nova Yekaterinburg. That's where you can go for supplies. Talk to Joker for credits. We have no shortage of those, which is one good thing about being a Spectre with access to the Council's funds. And see about taking someone with you. Dr. Chakwas might enjoy getting off the Normandy for a bit."

She chuckled, returning her gaze to the sight outside of the Normandy. They had entered into Therum's atmosphere, and the flat brown surface was quickly turning into a rocky landscape. "I can take care of myself, Shepard. Even without a gun, I know how to defend myself. And I have a scarf to wear, so my scars won't be quite as noticeable. I'm pretty sure I can do some shopping and get back on the Normandy without too much trouble."

"Fair enough." He checked his guns one last time before turning away. "We have to get the Mako ready. After Joker drops us off, he can take you to Nova Yekaterinburg. You should be able to find everything you need there."

She nodded, her eyes glued to the window. "See you when you get back, Commander."

He returned the nod before heading towards the cargo hold. "Joker, tell Alenko and Tali to meet me in the cargo bay. They're going with me. I'm getting the Mako ready for the drop."

"I'm on it, Commander," came the pilot's voice over the intercom. "I'm also picking up some weird readings from somewhere underground. It's only a few clicks from the drop zone."

"Then that's where we need to go. Also, once you have us dropped, land at the capital. Emmy needs to resupply."

"Gladly. I want to see if she'll make some more of that spaghetti she cooked the other night. I've been dreaming about that stuff."

Shepard chuckled as the door to the cargo area hissed open. Emmy had made some baked spaghetti two nights ago, claiming it was a family recipe. Every single person onboard had eaten their portion to the last crumb. Even Ashley, who continued to glare at the other girl every time they were in the same room together, had lamented when it was all gone. Just thinking about it was enough to make his stomach growl in anticipation. He hoped Emmy wouldn't mention anything to Joker about staying on Therum. If she did, he had no doubt the pilot would ground the Normandy and refuse to budge until the cook was back on board.

Then his thoughts were focused on the task at hand as he approached the Mako.

The M35 Mako was the backbone of the Systems Alliance, allowing soldiers to explore areas previously inaccessible. Its thick armor protected against both extreme cold and extreme heat, and was credited for single-handedly allowing colonies to spring up on planets with incredibly hostile conditions. It also could climb nearly any terrain, and was almost impossible to flip over, through Shepard had managed to do just that a time or two. It wasn't comfortable, and it wasn't pretty. But it got the job done.

Shepard went straight to work, checking all of the systems to make sure they were operating smoothly. They would need the weapons. If Dr. T'soni was working with Saren, like her mother was, then she was sure to have geth with her. They would need the hydraulics if they wanted to be able to overcome any steep or extremely rocky terrain. And he needed to make sure the shocks were still good. He didn't relish hitting the ground without something to cushion them.

He was still lying underneath the rover when the door hissed open again, and two pairs of feet could be seen not too far away. "Tali, Alenko, are you two armored up and ready to go?"

"Ready when you are, Commander." That was Alenko, whose feet, Shepard noticed, remained where they were. Tali's had moved. Sliding out from underneath the rover, the Spectre saw she was peering intently at the Mako.

"Something bothering you, Tali?" he asked, accepting Kaidan's hand and getting to his feet.

"No, no. I'm just… This is an interesting vehicle. I've never seen anything quite like it. What is it?"

"It's the Mako," Kaidan explained, moving to stand beside the quarian. "It's a rover, designed for the Alliance. The thing's nearly indestructible."

"So we'll be traveling in this?"

"Yes. But first, we'll be flying in it."

Tali turned to look at the two humans, and Shepard could only imagine what her facial expression was. "I'm sorry. We'll be doing what?"

Kaidan shot Shepard a positively wicked grin, and the Spectre had a hard time not grinning back. Instead, he kept his face neutral. "Well, we can't land the Normandy that close to where we want to go. First of all, if there are hostiles, it'll alert them to our presence. Second, we don't want to risk our main escape route, which is the Normandy. But we have to get there somehow. So we'll drop the Mako out of the cargo bay doors here. We'll just happen to be inside."

There was silence. Then, "You must be crazy! That's… Well, that's a long way down. Your Mako will shatter on impact, and us, too!"

Alenko laughed. "Relax. It's perfectly safe. This thing comes equipped with the top of the line shocks and hydraulics. The Alliance developed it specifically for this type of mission. Drop in quick and explore a rough surface without ever risking your ship."

Behind her helmet, Shepard could almost see the skepticism on the girl's face. "And you've both done this before?"

"Hundreds of times," Shepard assured her. "You have to have logged in fifty drops before you can graduate from academy. Alenko and I both are old pros at this."

"With that said, I call shotgun." Kaidan quickly hopped into the passenger side of the rover. "I'll man the guns, if need be. Tali, I would advise bracing yourself back there."

Looking as terrified as a quarian could, Tali reluctantly opened the door and climbed inside, muttering something about harnesses. Chuckling, Shepard climbed in the driver side. "Joker, we're ready whenever you are."

"Roger that, Commander. Opening cargo bay doors in three…two…one. Good luck out there."

"Thanks, Joker. Don't lose my ship." With that, he shifted the Mako and stepped on the gas.

In the back, Tali gripped her harness tightly. "Are you sure this is such a good _idea?!"_

The last word turned into a scream as the Mako cleared the cargo bay ramp and gravity took over.

Shepard felt his heart pound in his ears, and his adrenaline shot through the roof. He _loved _dropping in the Mako. Something about it made him feel like a teenager cliff diving again. He let out a very juvenile, cowboy "Yee-haw!" Next to him, Alenko was laughing wildly. Tali was still screaming.

The ground was approaching very quickly. Shepard reached over and pushed the button that would fire the reverse thrusters, causing them to decelerate and give them a softer landing. There was a _thunk_, and the Mako shuddered. Then all was calm.

Tali, who was still gripping her harness tightly and curled into a small a shape as possible, blinked out from behind the two men. "That… that was it?"

"That was it," Kaidan promised, still grinning like a madman. "I told you it wasn't all that bad."

The quarian seemed to melt, flopping back into her seat. "Wow, that… That wasn't quite so bad. Still, I don't want to do it again anytime soon."

"I'll keep that in mind." Shepard checked over the systems of the rover, making sure nothing had been damaged in the landing. Then he put the Mako in gear and started forward. "Joker, where are we going?"

"Head straight," came the pilot's disembodied voice. "The underground area where those readings are coming from are ahead of you."

"Sounds good. Are you heading for the capital?"

"Yep. Emmy is all ready to go."

"Good. Stay on the com, in case we need to get out of here fast."

"Will do."

"You two, stay sharp. There may be geth about. Alenko, you have the guns. Tali, keep an eye out the back. I don't relish the idea of getting caught in an ambush."

"You got it." The two were already unbuckling their harness, moving into positions that would give them the best outlook. Shepard slapped the release on his own harness. While the restraints came in handy when the rover was upside down, or if they were climbing incredibly steep terrain. It didn't seem as though there would be either in this situation, and the human didn't like the idea of being bound inside the Mako if a fire fight were to break out. He would need every second he could get.

He kept his gaze forward as the rover tore up the rocky soil. _Let's find Dr. T'soni and get the hell out of here. _

* * *

Emmy had faced a lot in her twenty-five years: she had been traumatized five years ago and left with both facial and emotional scars that would never heal. Then her mother had abandoned her without a word a year later. And just a few days ago, she had witnessed two drug dealers cut down half the people she worked with, and almost everyone she called friend. Yet she had never been as terrified as she was stepping off the Normandy and onto a strange planet for the very first time.

Therum was hot. That was the first thing she noticed. Having been raised on the Citadel, which was kept at optimal temperatures, this was a shock. Also, there was a lot of dirt. She found herself having to tug her scarf up higher and higher to cover her mouth and nose, and her eyes kept watering. The amount of people didn't bother her. Again, this was something she had dealt with growing up on the biggest space station in the galaxy. But the types of people here were like nothing she had ever seen. There were a lot of men who were covered in some kind of red dust who glared at everyone who didn't look like them. These, she decided, were the miners Shepard had spoken of. And the women… They perplexed her more than anything. Almost none of them wore skirts, and they all had incredibly short hair. They glared at her just as hard as the miners.

She clutched her market bag tighter against her side and tried to make herself as small as possible as she navigated her way through the crowds. She had already made a few purchases, and was rather proud of the way she had handled herself. Her confidence was growing with every successful encounter, but she still wished she had taken up the numerous offers she'd gotten from the other crew members to accompany her, though she would never admit it. She couldn't wait to get back onto the safety of the Normandy.

When she had decided to sneak aboard the ship, she really had planned on simply hopping off at their first stop. She had hoped that, since Shepard had seen her fight at Afterlife, he wouldn't kick her off right away. Or, as Ashley had suggested, put her on a ship heading back to the Citadel. What she _hadn't _expected was the crew to welcome her with open arms. She had never in a million years believed that she would find Kaidan, who was slowly becoming a big brother to her. She had never thought she would find a place on a military vessel, actually enjoying herself. And she never, _ever _would have imagined their commander, with his bright green eyes and ready smile that always twisted her tongue into a knot…

She gave herself a mental shake. Now was not the time to get lost in silly daydreams. She had to stay alert. She just needed to get a few more ingredients, then she could return home.

A smile quirked up at the corner of her lips. _Home. _It had been far too long since she had been able to say that. It didn't matter that her home was currently an Alliance frigate. She felt welcomed there, safe. With the exception of Ashley, everyone on board seemed to genuinely like her, no matter her scars. And though she had never planned on staying aboard very long, she couldn't imagine leaving it behind.

* * *

Shepard found himself wondering just why it was that he had let himself get sucked into this whole 'saving the galaxy' business. _'You'll be the first human Spectre, Shepard. No one else can do this, Shepard. Humanity needs you, Shepard'. Pah. Next time someone tries to butter me up with words like 'titles' and 'duties', I'm running away._

The human was currently pinned down by several of the geth armatures, giant machines that were heavily shielded. He and his teammates had abandoned the Mako and taken cover behind one of the many large rock formations jutting out of the ground. He was crouched down waiting for the sound of gun fire to let up before he risked sticking his head up to return fire. Kaidan was next to him, and Tali was a few feet away, standing behind a natural rock shelf, firing away.

"I hate this planet," he muttered, checking his gun for the umpteenth time. "It's too damn hot here."

"Well, at least it's a dry heat," Alenko joked, waiting for his gun to cool down before returning fire.

Shepard only glared at him, not in the mood for joking. He hadn't been just making small talk. It was _hot. _And while the Mako did not have very many luxuries, it did have air conditioning. As soon as he had leapt from the rover into Therum's arid air, he had started sweating. He knew without a shadow of a doubt that, when he returned to the Normandy, his armor --- made from flexible materials that were meant to mold to his body --- was going to have to be peeled off. The idea did not help his disposition at all.

The sound of gunshots seemed to quiet down a bit, and, acting like the well-oiled machine that only years of working together could bring, Shepard and Kaidan stood and returned fire. Four more geth fell. Giving the area a quick scan with his eyes, the Spectre saw about five more hostiles that needed to be eliminated before they could continue. He ducked back down behind the rock, letting his gun cool down before firing again. He didn't want to risk it blowing up in his face.

Kaidan dropped down next to him. "Well, at least we know we're on the right track," the lieutenant commented. "Question is, are they working _for _Dr. T'soni? Or are they trying to find her, too?"

"I'm not about to go out there and ask them," Shepard growled. He couldn't help it. His friend had always been the more optimistic one. "But I'll make sure to ask her whenever we find her." He paused. "Do you think we can take the rest of them out with the Mako's cannon?"

"Against the armatures? With the cannon and the gun, it shouldn't be too hard." Kaidan thought a moment. "I can get in there, man the guns. If you and Tali stay out here, we should have them taken out in no time."

Shepard nodded. "You got it. I'll cover you." He checked his gun. "Are you ready?"

Kaidan nodded, bringing his gun up to his shoulder. "As I'll ever be. Let's do this."

"On my mark. In three…. Two… one… Now!"

The two men leapt out from behind their cover, Kaidan making a mad dash for the open door of the rover, while Shepard began firing at the Armatures, making sure to keep their attention on him and not the lieutenant. He was able to take out one more of the Armatures before he had to duck behind the Mako. "Alenko!" he called over the com, hoping the other human could hear him over the sound of gunfire. "You all right in there?"

"Just fine, boss," came the biotic's voice in his ear.

"Good. We got about three more of those things. Think we can handle it?"

"Should be no problem." As if to prove his point, Kaidan fired the Mako's cannon, and one of the Armature's was suddenly missing two of its legs. Shepard used the moment to dash out from his hiding place and dive behind the rock shelf Tali was crouched behind.

"Shepard!" she said in surprise, blinking at him through her mask. "What are you doing over here? And where's Lieutenant Alenko?"

"Slight change of plan. I got tired of those guys shooting at us. Alenko is in the Mako. That leaves you and me to blast away at them." He gave her a grin. "There's three of them left, which means one of each of us gets one."

"Not if I get them all first." With that, the quarian girl stood and fired. Still grinning, Shepard was right behind her.

It didn't take long for the last three Armatures to be smoking hunks of machinery, and the three teammates to be back in the Mako. Shepard thankfully cranked the air back up and sighed, feeling his sweat that had glued his armor to his skin dry. "Let's get Dr. T'soni and go home."


End file.
